


Eternal

by whenudontsucceed



Category: Kingdom Hearts, Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: KH3 spoilers, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Spoilers, after kh3 but you know, here we are, its a vent fic i wrote in 7 hours, its not bad but it aint great either lol, its uh, one of my good friends told me to post it here so, the ending of kh3 didn't happen ok thats all you need to know, uh hope you enjoy? yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-10-31 22:51:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17858510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whenudontsucceed/pseuds/whenudontsucceed
Summary: With the final battle against Xehanort won, all seemed normal, but Riku didn't fail to take notice of the loss, trauma, and damage his friends have gone through. With no hesitation, he turned to his good friend Joshua for help.Riku couldn't care less what happened to him, as long as it meant no future threats to those he cared for, or Kingdom Hearts itself.





	Eternal

**Author's Note:**

> off·ing
> 
> noun
> 
> the sea between the horizon and offshore, the more distant part of the sea in view

Riku had never felt more determined before in his life. There was no other way to ensure the safety of the ones he held closest to his heart, and he was more than willing to give himself up to do so- he made a promise to Terra, after all. Due to the fact, however, that this would certainly be the last time he experienced love, pain, joy, or any type of emotion, he couldn’t let anyone else know. His heart was set, but it couldn’t take the aggressive and panicked voices and looks he would be met with as soon as word of his plan reached his friends.

With bated breath, Riku slowly, carefully, slid out of bed with practiced ease, making sure not to disturb the sleeping figure he previously was next to. Sora’s chest rose peacefully with every breath he took, undisturbed with the sudden loss of warmth to his right side. Riku hated it. If everything was normal, Sora would be up in a heartbeat looking for him, their soulmate bond alerting the younger boy, through Riku’s side of the bond, that something wasn’t right. Normally, Sora would have already grabbed his hand and asked him what’s wrong, kissing the inside of his palm in an attempt to calm him and convince him to get back into bed, to talk to him and tell him what was bothering him- but that wasn’t the case today. Riku made sure of that.

He bent down slightly to press his lips against his beloved’s in one final, sweet kiss. He gently pressed his index and middle finger to the crown charm dangling from Sora’s necklace, enchanting it with the strongest protection spell he knew. It left him disoriented for a while as he pulled away from the bed, having wasted all his magic, but it was alright. The strength he needed tonight would not be of the supernatural kind. He found himself gently brushing his fingers through Sora’s hair, staring at him with an affectionate gaze, and knew that if he didn’t leave then, he might not ever want to. With one last look at his lover, Riku lifted himself up from the floor and made the now longest walk of his life out of the room, holding back the tears ready to fall from his eyes with fierce resistance.

~~~

_“Is that why it’s said that the only way to get to Kingdom Hearts is with the χ-blade?” Riku questioned, looking down at the vast city thriving with life below him as he sat dangerously close to the edge of the 104 building._

_“According to my research and ability to look back in time, yes.” Joshua sat next to him, his wings expanded slightly out of his back, his eyes closed in contemplation. “But Riku, are you sure you want to do this?” He spared a glance at the boy seated next to him, doubt clouding his gaze. “Once it’s done, it’s done. Not even I will be able to reverse it.”_

_Riku nodded, propping his left knee up to his chest to rest his tired arm on. It had taken a lot to get up here, and without Sora’s advanced flowmotion skills and Joshua’s unwillingness to fly him up here, he had to climb his way up the massive building. The god’s laughter once he reached the top wasn’t appreciated, either. “It’s the only way. As I said, Kingdom Hearts is unstable. If I have to sacrifice my current state of being to make sure it is never opened again, then so be it.”_

_Joshua hummed in understanding. “Of course.” The boy stood up from his seated position to stand on the edge of the skyscraper, extending his wings to its full length as he scoured the hurried masses of Shibuya for bright orange hair and purple headphones. “If I’m being honest, I’d probably do the same.”_

_Riku smirked at the confession. “For Neku, yeah.”_

_“Always the keen one, aren’t you?” Joshua smiled, gently kicking Riku’s leg. “Wish Sora was that bright.”_

_A round of laughter rang through the air, though it was quickly followed by a comfortable, yet heavy silence._

_“Joshua,” Riku started off, his eyes drifting from the streets of Shibuya to his hands. “Tell me everything you found out about the Age of Fairytales and Kingdom Hearts. Everything.”_

_A sigh, followed by the rustling of feathers as wings folded close, now hidden from view. “I was starting to wonder when you were going to ask.” The god sat back down, dissatisfied that he couldn’t find his lover amongst the mass of people that was Shibuya’s inhabitants. “As you know, Kingdom Hearts is the heart of everything living, a pure light that created the World. In the Age of Fairytales, a man named the Master of Masters gave his five apprentices a book called The Book of Prophecies, a journal with all the future events up to the fated clash between keyblade wielders- the Ancient Keyblade War.”_

_Riku nodded, tapping his fingers on his knee. “Go on.”_

_Joshua scoffed at his impatience, but continued. “The Master of Masters made it so five of his apprentices started unions that would compete against each other for Lux, or light, to protect Kingdom Hearts from its foretold fall to darkness, but this instead created greediness and rivalry between the unions, and that is when the World’s first darkness appeared.” The boy stopped momentarily to stretch his neck. “But you already knew that, and what happens after. What is different is the creation of the keyblades that you and your friends all wield. See, the keyblades were modeled after the χ-blade, the legendary weapon that acts as Kingdom Hearts’ guardian, to protect the light.”_

_Riku shifted his gaze back in front of him, chewing the inside of his lip in thought. “I know keyblades protect both the light and darkness now, but what you’re saying is that because darkness wasn’t made until after the unions started gathering Lux, which is after they got keyblades, that they weren’t inherently created to keep the balance between the World?”_

_“Well, while you’re certainly right, that isn’t the point I’m trying to make.” Joshua waved his hand. “What I’m saying is, the modern keyblade and the χ-blade have the exact same functions- to protect the light. Doesn’t that seem strange to you? That the Master of Masters was able to replicate a smaller version of the legendary guardian of Kingdom Hearts for any random kids to wield to protect smaller quantities of light? You would think that the χ-blade wouldn’t be able to be copied so easily as it serves the most important job in existence- to protect the World and all the life in it- but it was. Why do you think that is, Riku?” The boy turned towards his friend, something mischievous yet enchanting hidden in the growing smirk on his face._

_Riku shook his head, not wanting to admit that smirk sent cold shivers down his spine. “I couldn’t tell you.”_

_Joshua closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Seriously Riku, you can’t entertain me by at least trying?” He shook his head in exasperation. “Well, in any case, let me enlighten you.” That damned smirk returned, but nothing could make Riku’s blood run colder than the words he said next. “The χ-blade isn’t the guardian of Kingdom Hearts.”_

_Riku felt the wind leave his lungs as he scrambled from his seated position to look at Joshua. “What do you mean- Xehanort, he used it to open Kingdom Hearts twice! Are you telling me the χ-blade isn’t the key to Kingdom Hearts?”_

_“No, no.” Joshua waved his hand again, holding back a chuckle at Riku’s reaction. “It opens Kingdom Hearts, yes, but it’s more of a… what should I call it, the first access point to it.”_

_He stared at him blankly. “Please, explain.”_

_At that, Joshua did laugh. “Kingdom Hearts is a living, breathing being, yes? Then why should a weapon, something inanimate, be the one to guard it?” He walked over to his friend, his tone shifting to one more serious. “The real guardian to Kingdom Hearts is a soul- a person, Riku. The χ-blade is just a physical access point to that soul, and had this worked out properly as it did in the Age of Fairytales, Xehanort would have had to form the χ-blade to get to this soul, who would have, in a perfect world, obliterated Xehanort on the spot.”_

_“Then… then what happened? Why was Xehanort able to get to it without intervention?”_

_“That one’s easy, Riku.” Riku unconsciously leaned forward. “It’s protector is exhausted. They’ve been guarding Kingdom Hearts for centuries, and their existence is fading away, therefore rendering them powerless to defend it.” Joshua shook his head, crossing his arms again. “This protector guarded Kingdom Hearts at the end of the Keyblade War by hiding it away from the World, in which the World split into the individual worlds you and your friends travel to. That trick could only work once, and that added on top of the fact that this soul is fading away, made it all the easier for Xehanort to try to get his new Beginning.”_

_Riku sat back down on the weathered concrete, his head swimming with the new information. “If that’s the case, then why was this soul not mentioned in any books? I’ve scoured the libraries of many worlds, and all of them say something to the extent of the χ-blade, but not this soul. Why is that, then?”_

_“A test and a defense mechanism.” Joshua ran his fingers through his hair. “A test to see who would be interested in Kingdom Hearts, and a way to throw the interested off guard if they succeeded in making the χ-blade.”_

_“And because this person’s existence is fading, that means…” Riku trailed off, his heart suddenly feeling tight and heavy. Without sparing another moment, he closed the door to his side of his and Sora’s soulmate bond, so his lover wouldn’t be alarmed at his sudden surge of dread and realization. He knew as soon as he went back to Destiny Islands, he’d be met by an angered Sora for the fact he closed it, but that didn’t matter now. “When you said I had to sacrifice myself to protect Kingdom Hearts, you didn’t mean die, you mean devoting my entire life to guarding it, didn’t you?”_

_“I told you, it’s irreversible.” Joshua faced away from him, searching again for his lover in the hoards of people in Shibuya. “I specialize in death, so if you simply had to die, I could bring you back if anything went awry… but Riku,” He paused, taking in a sharp breath as he spotted Neku amongst the sea of boring, uninterested faces. He was looking at the CAT mural, and Joshua’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. “To become the protector of Kingdom Hearts, you have to die only to ascend to a different plane, and prove to the current protector of Kingdom Hearts that you are worthy.” He tore his gaze away from Neku, feeling his eyes burn with the familiar sting of hot tears he now knew all too well. “The only place I could intervene is in the first step, when you die. If you don’t get to the right plane, I can help you get there. But if this soul deems you unworthy... nary a trace will be left of your existence in the mortal world. You’d simply ascend into heaven. Do you understand?”_

_Die, to ascend, to convince, or die, to go to heaven. Both sounded risky to Riku, but he refused to let those close to him worry about the next villain to plague the World in another threat of darkness and destruction. He refused to let Aqua continue jumping at the sight of a shadow, refused to see Terra enter the room with black under eyes and sunken cheeks, refused to see Xion and Roxas immediately summon their keyblade at anything resembling the sound of a Nobody, refused to hear Kairi wake up screaming thinking he and Sora have disappeared again- he won’t have that go on any longer. Sleepless nights were spent at either Yen Sid’s tower or Radiant Garden to formulate plans to prevent anything close enough to what happened with Xehanort happen again, but Riku knew that if he did this, he could save them all. They would no longer have the burden of playing hero on their shoulders, and that was a risk he was willing to take._

_“When can we start?”_

_Joshua smiled and faced his friend. “Leave it to you to agree to do something like this.” He walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Tonight, if you’d like, but I reckon you want to spend some time with your friends before you die, correct?”_

_He gave a curt nod, and Joshua pulled away. “Right, a week then. Don’t chicken out on me day of, okay?” He winked playfully at Riku, and all Riku could do was roll his eyes. A week wasn’t nearly enough to spend time with his friends, but the threat of Kingdom Hearts opening again was one too serious to ignore._

_“Sure, sure.” The Keyblade Master waved his hand to the side, opening a portal to the Lanes Between as he quickly changed into his keyblade armor. “Oh, Neku.”_

_“Hm?” The god perked his head up to look at him from the CAT mural, arms still crossed._

_“You’ll find a way to see Neku again.” Riku smiled softly, though his friend couldn’t see. “Love always finds a way.”_

_Joshua paused, then laughed. “You always know the right words to say… alright, I’ll take your word for it.” He smiled at him in gratitude. “See you later, Riku.”_

_“See ya.” And with a burst of speed and light, Joshua was left alone on the roof of 104, looking back down at the CAT mural. Neku was nowhere to be seen, lost to the masses of Shibuya’s ever-active population._

_~~~_

Riku snapped out of his thoughts when he arrived at the docks, looking down at the small raft bobbing gently on the water, nothing holding it back from drifting into the sea other than the rope attached to the front. He settled himself inside, grabbing hold of the oars to the side and untying the rope as he took a deep breath, and started to row towards the play island.

Riku quickly found himself lost in thought again, as he thought about all the people he’s said goodbye to, even if they didn’t know it. The boy found himself smiling slightly at the memory of his goodbye to Kairi, as he had to be a bit more careful than he was with the others as she was incredibly keen. He could walk into a room and Kairi would immediately know if something good or bad happened that day just based on his posture without skipping a heartbeat. The day he said goodbye to her was the most exhausted he felt in a long while, but he was just glad that she didn’t sense anything amiss. Just as his arms were starting to feel the all familiar burn associated with rowing, he was reminded that there was one person out of all who was left out.

Sora.

He remembered thinking that entire week what he was gonna say, what he was gonna do, to make his last moments with his soulmate memorable. He would think of gifts to buy, or how many of Sora’s favorite meals he could make, but all plans fell short as he felt they weren’t enough to be considered a goodbye. In the end, all he left Sora was a soft kiss. Now, as he approached the play island, he felt the beginnings of regret settle in his bones, sending chills throughout his entire body despite the warm wind hitting his skin. He shook his head violently, forcefully pushing the feeling down as the small raft hit soft sand, alerting him of his arrival.

The play islands seemed bigger tonight, but Riku knew it was only due to the fact that these islands would serve as his grave. His boots sank softly into the sand, the waves lapping softly at his ankles, giving him a strange sense of comfort as he walked onto the shore, headed in the direction of the waterfall. His pace was slow, but not hesitant, as he looked around the island that raised him and gave him sanctuary when he was a child. He ran his hands over the small wooden shack, the wood now splintered and weathered with the never-ending passage of time.

He took a deep breath, turning his head slightly to the right to see the curved wooden bridge leading to the curved paopu tree. There, he saw Sora chasing Kairi with a handful of seaweed, his younger self laughing at his friends, seated at the base of the tree as he watched. They couldn’t have been older than six, enjoying their time together without a care in the world, as children always did. Riku felt tears start to make their way to his eyes, but he let them caress his cheeks this once, walking away from the bridge to the waterfall. The laughter of children never once left his ears as he rounded the island. His footsteps stopped when he saw an all too familiar silhouette leaned up against the rocks by the waterfall, and he inhaled deeply to calm his nerves.

“Are you ready, Joshua?”

The boy in question opened his eyes to glance at him, sitting up straight from his previously slouched position. “I think I should be asking you that question, Riku.”

Riku couldn’t help but crack a smile, not caring that more tears made their way down his face. “Right. Shall we?”

With a nod, both boys made their way to the cave behind the waterfall, otherwise inaccessible to anyone who didn’t have the power to momentarily stop the flow of water. Luckily for Riku, who wasted all his power casting the protection spell on Sora’s necklace, Joshua stopped it with just enough time for them to pass through before the roaring of water echoed in the air once more.

In the middle of the cave was a moderately deep pool, water dripping from various points in the ceiling and dripping slowly into it. “There.” Joshua pointed to it. “Get in it, and lie face-up in the water.”

Riku obliged without question. “You mentioned a couple days ago that you wanted to do it here-” He gasped slightly when he stepped in as the water was surprisingly frigid, colder than the waves currently hitting the shores of the island. “Why?”

The god made his way to the pool himself, easily swimming to the middle. “With water, I can make your death painless. It’ll feel like you’re going to sleep.”

Riku stopped in the middle of the pool, letting himself float on his back. This entire time, he worried himself with saying goodbye to everyone and the current guardian of Kingdom Hearts that he forgot that the first step of the process was death. “...thank you, Joshua.”

He smiled, gently placing his hands on either side of Riku’s head. “You’re welcome. Now, you’re aware that because you’ll be dying, Sora will know because your side of the soulmate bond will be growing weaker, correct?”

“I know.” The Keyblade Master closed his eyes, flinching slightly when a droplet from the ceiling landed on his right cheek. “I know.”

Joshua hummed in acknowledgment, his hands feeling cold yet comforting on Riku’s face. “I’m going to start now. Just relax, you don’t have to do anything-”

Riku cut him off. “Joshua, promise me one thing.”

He blinked in surprise, then let out an exhale in realization. “I’ll try to keep your friends safe when I can, b-”

“Promise me you’ll never stop trying to get back to Neku.”

Joshua paused, completely caught off guard. In his last moments, Riku was asking him a favor that would benefit him, not himself. Looking down at him, his friend seemed completely relaxed, certainty in his features. He couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I promise, Riku.” Never in his wildest dreams did he think someone other than Neku could care for him, but here he was, about to kill the other person who did. It seemed, in some sort of twisted fate, that he always got closer to people by taking their life.

“Good.” Riku smiled. “Thank you for everything, Joshua.”

Joshua never expected to cry, either, but he did. Ignoring the tears running down his face, he closed his eyes, concentrating on the task before him. This was the least he could do for his friend. The water surrounding them slowly changed colors from a reflective blue to an almost blinding white, washing over them both like a blanket. “Thank you for everything, Riku.”

True to Joshua’s words, Riku began to drift off into a dreamless sleep. He felt his feet, then his legs, then the rest of his body going upwards grow light in weight, Joshua’s magic pulling him deeper and deeper into the sweet abyss that was permanent sleep. It was at his chest, however, that he felt a sudden warmth blossom across his heart, a voice speaking to him in his mind.

‘Riku!’ Sora cried out, the panic and confusion ever evident in his voice. ‘Riku, where are you?! Please-’ His heartache sobbed, and Riku’s heart has never ached more. ‘Why are you fading? Please, let me know where you are, Kairi and I are worried and looking for you- Riku...’ The boy trailed off, crying again.

Riku took another deep breath, his consciousness growing foggier and foggier by the second as sleep seeped deeper and deeper into his soul. Part of him wanted to tell Sora where he was, simply to ease his panic, but he knew he couldn’t. He and Kairi would immediately make their way to the play island, and he didn’t want them stopping Joshua’s work.

His lower back and abdomen went light, and he knew he was running out of time. With the last bit of consciousness left, he found he was finally able to utter the goodbye he’s been meaning to say. ‘Sora-’

‘Riku!’ Sora sighed in relief at the sound of his voice, and the panic Riku had been feeling coming from Sora died substantially. ‘Hang tight, are-’ Another sob cut him off, though he quickly regained himself, his voice hoarse. ‘Are you hurt? Try to get someplace safe if you can, and tell us where you are so we can get you!’

Riku felt something wet slide down his cheek, and he didn’t know if it was a tear or a droplet that landed on his face. ‘Let everyone know that I did this to protect them…’ He gasped, and he knew the next breath he was going to take would be his last one. ‘I love you, Sora. I always will.’

Sora’s desperate cries and screams would be the last thing Riku ever heard.

Joshua finally opened his eyes, pulling his hands away as Riku’s body dissipated into a beautiful array of yellow light, floating upwards and illuminating the cave brilliantly. He lifted his hand to his cheek, feeling the hot tears that continued to flow down his face. He felt Riku ascend into the next plane of existence and knew that anything past that, he couldn’t intervene with. He watched the golden light slowly disappear- It was all up to Riku now, and all that was left of him were the memories he made and the hearts he touched- including his. Now left in complete darkness, Joshua smiled. He knew wherever he ended up, as Kingdom Hearts’ new protector or simply making his way to heaven, that he would be safe.

“Safe travels, old friend.”

**Author's Note:**

> In the end, it was that small distance of water that made all the difference.
> 
> ~
> 
> Well, hoped you enjoyed! Here's my twitter: https://twitter.com/naty01621875?lang=en
> 
> Comments/Kudos are greatly appreciated!


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